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International programs & student supports

Doshisha University

Location: Kyoto, Japan
Website: Doshisha Exchange Program
Language of instruction: English, Japanese, English
Terms: Spring semester (early April - late July) // Fall semester (late September - early February)

Highlights

Trees on Doshisha campus
  • Doshisha University, established in 1875, is one of the oldest universities in Asia. It is located in Kyoto, an internationally celebrated cultural area in Japan, home to many historic buildings and traditional events.
  • Approximately 28,000 students study at Doshisha, including 1,800 international students from
    all over the world.
  • Provides an excellent program of Japanese language and culture courses for international students, called 'Nichibun', featuring courses taught at 9 different levels of Japanese.
  • Courses taught in English are available in the Global Education Module, which provides learning opportunities in different fields ranging from the humanities and social sciences to the natural and human sciences

Accessibility

Areas of study

  •  Japanese language, art, history, culture, and society

Courses

  • GEM offers students courses on Japanese culture, society, and nature, taught in English.
    • Check out more information about GEM, including the course list and syllabi.
  • Nichibun provides courses on the Japanese language and culture, instructed in Japanese.
    • Learn more about the Nichibun, including courses and credits. 
  • Exchange students must take at least 7 classes per week (1 class = 90 minutes).

Credits

Credits at Doshisha:

  • Full-time option (7.5 UVic units): 15 credits per term at Doshisha 

Course Evaluations at UVic: 

  • Before departure, UVic students will be able to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will indicate how many UVic units each exchange course is worth, as well as the course equivalency.
  • Students must use the evaluation results to ensure their exchange courses credits add up to the equivalent UVic units. The total number of units for each exchange term should be 4.5 UVic units for part-time exchange or 7.5 UVic units for full-time exchange.
  • This course evaluation process will be made available and explained in detail during the pre-departure session in early October for Spring exchange terms and in late March for Fall exchange terms. Evaluations take 2-6 weeks to complete and will be emailed to students. 
  • Course evaluations results are tentative until the end of the exchange term, when a second, final evaluation is conducted by OREM using the students’ exchange transcript, and the results are applied to their UVic record. 

Exchange credit history

  • Click here to check out the exchange credit history of courses that have been previously evaluated by UVic for this host university.
  • Students are not limited to this list when selecting courses for their upcoming exchange and should consult the host university’s course catalogue for a full list of offerings.
  • Important note: this document is a guide only and previously evaluated courses are not guaranteed to be evaluated in the same way in the future.
  • After being accepted into the ICS Exchange Program, students will have the chance to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will provide updated unit and credit equivalency information. 

Housing

On-campus housing: Unavailable

Off-campus housing: Available

  • Doshisha will provide off-campus accommodation to exchange students, in one of their dormitories.
  • If exchange students wish to find their own off-campus accommodation, please be sure to inform Doshisha's Office of International Students after you have been nominated by UVic. 

Medical insurance, immigration & arrival

Medical insurance:

  • All exchange students are required to enroll in National Health Insurance to reduce the costs of medical treatment for illness and injury.
  • Students must pay insurance premiums, but are then only required to pay 30% of actual expenses incurred at medical care facilities by showing the verification of eligibility. 
  • The approximate annual cost for National Health Insurance is ¥19,000.

Immigration:

  • Exchange students need a visa in order to study on exchange at Doshisha.
  • Upon acceptance, Doshisha University will apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) on behalf of students to the Immigration Bureau in Kyoto. This is needed in order to apply for a student visa.
  • As soon as the CoE is issued, it will be forwarded to exchange students via email.
  • Students will then use their CoE to apply for a student visa at the nearest Japanese Embassy/Consulate in Canada.

Arrival: 

  • Orientation for exchange students takes place in mid-September for the Fall semester and mid-March for the Spring semester.
  • An orientation at each dormitory, including Japanese proficiency test, as well as course registration guidance, will be held upon arrival.
  • Download the Handbook for International Students